Spiced Pumpkin, Carrot, and Tomato Soup (2 ways)

This is one of those dishes that while I was eating it for the first time, I just could NOT stop saying "oh my gosh, this is SOOOO good." It is SO good! But, my kids still groan a little bit when I say that we are having soup for dinner. So the second time I made it, I add some raviolis to appease the masses. 

1st version - Spiced Pumpkin, Carrot, and Tomato Soup with Carrot Coins
Heat olive oil in your soup pot over low heat.
Prepare Veggies:

• Chop 1/2 onion (more if you love onions - it's soup which means you can always put more or less of what you like.)

• Peel and slice 4 carrots into thin "coins"

Drop veggies in your warm oil, turn up the heat, and cook for several minutes until they begin to caramelize.
While they are cooking add:

• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Tumeric (tasty and great to boost immunity and healing function)
• 32 oz. Organic Veggie Stock (you could do all stock or all water - or a combo of both to save money)

*** if you want to make the "saucier" variation of this skip ahead to Version 2. If you are sticking with the all veg version, hang in here.

Once the carrots are tender, add:

• 1 - 15 oz. can Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling;-)
• 1 - 6 oz. can Tomato Paste
• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. Chili Powder (apparently 1 tsp. is too much for my 4-year old)
• 1/2 tsp. Cumin

Cook until warmed through and enjoy.

2nd Version - Pureed Pumpkin, Carrot, and Tomato Soup with Ravioli 

While the carrots are cooking, cook a package of Ravioli (or Tortellini of choice) according to the package directions.

Bring the carrots, onion, spices, and stock to a boil. Once it boils turn down heat and cook under the carrots are soft enough to blend. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or let it cool a bit and then blend in your traditional blender. It is dangerous to blend hot liquid in a blender with the lid on it. There is a little trick to blending hot liquid in which you take that little cap out of the top of the blender and cover the opening with a dish towel to make it safer.

Put the puree soup back into the soup pot and then head on up there to the list of ingredients above which include: pumpkin, tomato puree, and the spices. 

Ladle cooked Ravioli into a bowl, top with a ladle-full of the saucy soup, and enjoy.